MELBOURNE is all but guaranteed to post its hottest November on record, in a month of strange weather that has produced above-average rainfall.
With one day remaining of spring, the city's average maximum temperature was 27.6 degrees to Saturday, besting the 1862 record of 25.5 degrees for the whole of November.
While the weather cooled on the weekend, 10 consecutive days over 30 degrees at the start of the month set the pattern for the monthly record to fall.
Melbourne's November rainfall to date was 90.2 millimetres, well above the monthly average of 59.7 millimetres and the wettest November since 2004.
Senior weather bureau forecaster Terry Ryan said it was unusual to have the combination of the hottest November and above-average rainfall.
''This is another statistic that says the Earth appears to be getting warmer,'' he said.
Mr Ryan said the November rain had eased the immediate bushfire threat but would increase growth, especially of grasslands, increasing fire risk if high summer temperatures dry out the countryside.